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Re: [OM] Shooting into the Looking Glass

Subject: Re: [OM] Shooting into the Looking Glass
From: "John A. Lind" <jlind@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2000 20:49:35 +0000
At 00:05 2/21/00 , Phillip Franklin wondered:
>While focusing I noticed a unique phenomena which puzzled me a bit.  I was
>standing about 6 feet from the mirror.  While I was in focus, objects a few
>feet behind me (in the mirror) were not.  I would think that since the mirror
>is a flat surface all of the objects in this reflection would be on the same
>distance from the camera, hence be in focus.  I've never thought of this
>phenomena before.  I guess the mirror is only acting a bounce off plane so
>that the actual optical distance would be the twice the distance to the
>mirror (the true distance of the travel of light).  I'm sure this goes by
>some fancy name.  Am I explaining this correctly?

You've got it!  I don't know of any fancy name for it, but yes, the true
distance is from camera film plane to mirror plane to the object you are
focusing on.  Objects closer or farther enough to be outside the DOF will
be out of focus.

>Also are any of you experieced at shooting self portraits into a mirror?  I 
>know it is a strange thing to do, but it seems interesting.

I've done it several times.  Two issues.  The image you get will be
left-to-right reversed because of the mirror reflection, but that's the
minor one.   The main problem is when using a flash and how to keep it's
bright spot of light out of the image.  One way is to remote the flash at
the mirror and point it directly at you.  The other way is much like a copy
stand version with two spaced away from you and outside the image, but
bouncing off the mirror.  Just remember the angle of incidence (angle at
which it strikes the mirror) equals angle of reflection (angle at which it
leaves the mirror).  I would prefer to use some form of bounce.

There is yet another way to simulate a mirror shot with two cameras on two
tripods facing each other.  You stand next to one as if you are shooting
the image and with remote release or self timer set off the other.  I've
done that too, but the tell-tale is the image is not reversed.  If close
enough you can read the writing on the camera.  Hey, maybe that's why all
this stuff has been blacked out in the past! <g>

-- John

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